How to take effective notes?

Although there are a lot of textbooks and readily available notes, notes taken in class still hold a lot of importance.

“Learning to take good notes is secret behind scoring good score,” says Namratha Y a middle school teacher from Hyderabad.

“Taking notes in the class will not only help you in exam, but also will aid you in understanding the topic, she adds.

While some students who mastered the talent of note taking say that; if you have your own notes then it is easy for you to memorise it and learn new things about the topic as most of the teachers who teach in class give practical explanation which will not be readily available in the textbooks.

Note taking is not a Herculean task, but needs a little practice and here are few tips to master it:

Pay attention

Paying attention is the important strategy one has to follow to take good notes. Concentrating on what teacher is teaching will help in taking notes.

• Sit in a place where you can see and hear the professor clearly - the front of class is usually best
• Clear your space of any distractions that could prevent you from focusing on the class
• If you're taking notes on a computer, turn off your wireless connection so you're not tempted to go online

Keep everything ready
Make sure that you have the entire note taking material ready with you before the class starts. Here are some supplies you will be needing to take effective notes.

• Notebooks or binders, one for each class (3-ring binders can help you organize notes, syllabi and class handouts - you'll just need to invest in a good hole punch)
• Graph paper for diagrams, if applicable
• Pencils or pens (always keep extras with you)
• Highlighters
• Small sticky notes and/or flags

Understand what is important
There is no need to jot down every word which has come out of your teacher’s mouth. Instead, write down info that isn't in the textbook and points the instructor emphasizes as important. Write in phrases, not whole sentences, and use abbreviations to save time and hand cramps.

Here are some of the things you'll typically want to include in your notes:

• Info the professor puts on the board
• Facts you need to memorize, like names and dates (if this information is in your textbook, don't waste ink writing it down)
• Formulas you need to know, particularly in math or science courses
• Details emphasised by your professor (keep your ears perked up for signal phrases such as 'the most essential part is...' or 'this will be on the test')

Organise your notes
Organising your notes is the most important thing, what is the use of notes when you cannot find it when you need it. Here are a few ideas:

• Write the course name and date at the top of each page, just in case some pages get separated
• Keep all of your materials and reading notes for each course together
• File your notes chronologically (this is where a 3-ring binder can come in handy)